Four Companies had award ceremonies on Sunday morning, June 13. Bravo, Delta, Echo and Headquarters & Headquarters Company gave awards to soldiers in separate ceremonies during the morning. The photos of these award ceremonies are at the links below:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Freedom Salute Pictures
On Sunday, June 13, 2-104th GSAB received a Freedom Salute ceremony honoring soldiers who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom last year, returning home in January. All deployed soldiers who could attend the ceremony were honored for their service. Photos of the ceremony are available for download on a FLICKR page maintained I set up in Iraq. To view all the photos and download yours, just click on this link.
There are 273 photos in this set. Please add identifying info to your picture or pictures and feel free to share the pictures with family and friends.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Adoption Begins
Yesterday we officially became the foster parents of Jacari Waddell. The adoption could take up to another year before the paperwork is completed. In the meantime, Jacari will be with us.
Our family now has five last names for seven people.
Monday, June 14, 2010
More Change of Command Pictures
Chaplain LaVoie making the Invocation
Master of Ceremonies SSG Shawn Rutledge
HHC Change of Command
Out-going Commanders after the ceremony
Delta Company
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Changes of Command June 13 2010
CFour companies in 2-104th Aviation got new commanders on June 13, 2010.
Battalion Formation
Capt. Shamus Cragg B Company, 1-150th
Here are pictures from the ceremony. Military tradition passes the company guidon flag from the first sergeant to the outgoing commander to the battalion commander to the new commander and back to the first sergeant. The four soldiers stand at the four points of the compass facing each other with a flag flying between them.
The ceremony is a dramatic moment for those involved. Often the out-going commander is leaving his first command. The in-coming commander has been a platoon leader or other small unit leader before, but often is stepping into his first actual command.
These change of command ceremonies are especially poignant for the men involved. Every one of the out-going commanders led their unit in Iraq. The new commanders are taking the place of combat commanders--always big boots to fill.
Battalion Formation Capt. Shamus Cragg B Company, 1-150th
Capt. Nate Smith B Company
1st Lt. Zettlemoyer commands D Company
Saturday, June 12, 2010
From Larry King While I was in Iraq
One night when I was in the Coalition DFAC in Tallil, I saw a re-broadcast of a Larry King Live program that showed me just how infuriatingly shallow CNN can be. I expect it from Fox News, but there on CNN was Larry King interviewing Jenny McCarthy about vaccines and autism.
With heartfelt sincerity and a winning smile and an utter lack of scientific training or evidence, McCarthy presented her case that vaccines caused her son's autism. On the 2nd half of the show, doctors from leading childrens hospitals explained in a very kind way that McCarthy had no evidence her beliefs. I remember thinking at the time that this is exactly why kids want to get on American Idol--celebrity makesd you an expert in EVERYTHING.
As those doctors found out, it is very hard to criticize the mother of an autistic child. But here is some very proper criticism: http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/203348/autism-and-the-madness-of-crowds
With heartfelt sincerity and a winning smile and an utter lack of scientific training or evidence, McCarthy presented her case that vaccines caused her son's autism. On the 2nd half of the show, doctors from leading childrens hospitals explained in a very kind way that McCarthy had no evidence her beliefs. I remember thinking at the time that this is exactly why kids want to get on American Idol--celebrity makesd you an expert in EVERYTHING.
As those doctors found out, it is very hard to criticize the mother of an autistic child. But here is some very proper criticism: http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/203348/autism-and-the-madness-of-crowds
Friday, June 11, 2010
Getting Ready for a Guard Weekend
This weekend I will be taking more pictures. Many soldiers will be getting awards from the Iraq tour. The official change of command ceremony for the battalion will also be tomorrow.
In addition we will have a post-deployment health assessment. We will be asked a bunch of questions about our health as well as how much we drink and whether we are angry, depressed or have nightmares. That's all pretty standard.
The interesting thing is the logistics. Up until a few weeks ago, we could fill out an assessment form on line. Then the on-line version was closed to National Guard. There is also an 888 number, but that is the plan B. The plan A is that we all load up on buses tomorrow and ride over to the VA Medical Center in Lebanon to fill-out the form with counselors on site. The full time soldiers say that they cut off on line access because the state planned for us to complete the assessment in person. They authorized work on Saturday and Sunday to get this done. If we don't show up, the state will be angry because they budgeted for staffing and if we don't use the program they will have wasted money.
So in the tail-wagging-the-dog world of the Army, we will all load up on buses and stand in long lines so someone in state government will not be seen as wasting money. We are state civil servants. Most of us are too low in rank to come to the notice of the state bureaucracy, but the top leaders of the PA National Guard are very much part of the state government.
From the time I re-joined, I have heard many of our leaders say "appearance is reality" a truism that, like stereotypes, is true most of the time at the shallowest level. We do many things just for appearances and many of them involve riding buses.
In addition we will have a post-deployment health assessment. We will be asked a bunch of questions about our health as well as how much we drink and whether we are angry, depressed or have nightmares. That's all pretty standard.
The interesting thing is the logistics. Up until a few weeks ago, we could fill out an assessment form on line. Then the on-line version was closed to National Guard. There is also an 888 number, but that is the plan B. The plan A is that we all load up on buses tomorrow and ride over to the VA Medical Center in Lebanon to fill-out the form with counselors on site. The full time soldiers say that they cut off on line access because the state planned for us to complete the assessment in person. They authorized work on Saturday and Sunday to get this done. If we don't show up, the state will be angry because they budgeted for staffing and if we don't use the program they will have wasted money.
So in the tail-wagging-the-dog world of the Army, we will all load up on buses and stand in long lines so someone in state government will not be seen as wasting money. We are state civil servants. Most of us are too low in rank to come to the notice of the state bureaucracy, but the top leaders of the PA National Guard are very much part of the state government.
From the time I re-joined, I have heard many of our leaders say "appearance is reality" a truism that, like stereotypes, is true most of the time at the shallowest level. We do many things just for appearances and many of them involve riding buses.
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